World leaders weighed in on the war in Ukraine on Victory in Europe Day
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was in Kyiv over the weekend, raising the Canadian flag to mark the reopening of Canada's Embassy in Kyiv and meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Trudeau said the flag was taken down on Feb. 13, before the Russian invasion. Reopening the embassy is "a testament to how the Ukrainian people have been so strong and resilient," Trudeau said in a speech. "That they've been able to protect their city and continue to fight for their language, their culture, their identity and their country."
In Germany, in a speech to mark the anniversary of the end of World War Two in Europe, Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned there can be no peace under a Russian dictatorship.
In a televised address on Sunday night, Scholz said he is convinced that Russian President Vladimir Putin will not win this war, and that Ukraine will prevail.
"Freedom and security will win the day," Scholz said, "just as freedom and security triumphed over oppression, violence, and dictatorship 77 years ago."
G7 leaders released a statement commemorating the anniversary of the end of WWII in Europe and pledging to further support Ukraine.
"We reiterate our condemnation of Russia's unprovoked, unjustifiable and illegal military aggression against Ukraine and the indiscriminate attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, which has resulted in terrible humanitarian catastrophe in the heart of Europe," the statement said.
This story originally appeared in the Morning Edition live blog. [Copyright 2022 NPR]
